THE THREE DEADLY SINS OF KARMA 

JUDGMENT AND MERCY (A)

“Behind my work was ambition, behind my love was personality, behind my purity was fear, behind my guidance the thirst for power. Now they are vanishing and I drift. I come Mother, I come, in your warm bosom – floating where-ever you take me – in the voiceless, in the strange, in the wonderland. I come a spectator, No more an actor.”   

Swami Vivekananda

 

The Tree of Life has 10 sephirot or energy centers; 5 (as designated by the hearts above) are called the 5 Loves. The others have been called the 5 Judgments or Fears. Fear related to judgment follows us all the way up the Tree (as do the other sins of karma but maybe to a lesser extent.) The right side expands the left contracts, the center column holds the balance.

THE LOVE TRIAD IS ABOUT COMPASSION, EMPATHY

AND FORGIVENESS 

 

“When a deep injury is done to us, we never recover until we forgive.” Alan Paton

 

It is all about cosmic union. Go forward with forgiveness which is essential to substance and joy. 

“Forgiveness is the most completing gift we can experience for we all have its sweet need.” J. O’donahue

“In forgiving and letting go we can then exalt in treasuring what we truly most treasure.” J. O’Donahue

“…What you give to if not received is still not lost. Not getting back what you give and or not having what you give being received – neither way is a waste or loss.” J. O’donahue

"Forgiveness is part of the treasure you need to craft your falcon wings and return to your true realm of Divine Freedom.” Hafitz 

Judgment is part of both the Love Triad and the Triad of Ego for good reason. It may become one of our greatest challenges. Judgment becomes more subtle when we raise our vibration and open our hearts. Subordinating judgment may require a greater level of inner awareness as we ascend the Tree rung by rung. It is more difficult to temper our judgments than our egos. It helps to judge the action rather than the person. We all have a pure soul. 

Non-Attachment (Netzach) on the Triad of Ego is key to spiritual evolution beyond our survival needs. Netzach is not only Non-Attachment to the material or to the self-cherishing persona but also emphasizes the importance of interpersonal relationship between the Four Beings of Nature and especially the Talking Beings. In other words: Namaste – I recognize the divinity within you (and my-Self.)  This means having a relationship for its own sake and not for any selfish agenda or advantage.

If we cannot embrace the other,

 do not think to embrace God. 

 

JUDGMENT OF ONESELF

Self-recrimination can cause harm to the Soul or the Higher Self. 

 

“Self-condemnation strengthens guilt which is one of the greatest obstacles on the path of realization.” Sri Swami Rama

 

Self-condemnation puts our higher consciousness in the prefrontal lobe of the brain in lockdown and allows Monkey's primal, survival Mind  to prevail, shutting out Spacious or Big Mind. We need to practice an unconditional positive regard not only for ourSelves but also for others. No-one is perfect. Self-condemnation can create shame which is feeling bad about who one is - one's essence. Remorse and regret are about feeling bad about what one did, and is more easily corrected.

Do not condemn yourself, or let others condemn you!

 

Be patient with yourself, kind to yourself and, above all, release yourself from what you are not accountable.

 

“Just as its presumptuous to put ourselves above others, so is it pretentious to put ourselves below them.” Unknown

And if your friend does evil to you, say to him, “I forgive you for what you did to me, but how can I forgive you for what you did to yourSelf?”  Nietzsche

 

The Creator and Jesus will forgive those who have inflicted harm on their own Higher Selves, on the soul that is pure. This is the parable of the prodigal son or daughter returning to the Father-Mother and being forgiven. However, for what we have done to others we have to personally ask forgiveness from them to clean the slate. 

Self-Compassion 

does not mean self-enabling - enabling the small self. We need to admit to our unskillfulness and correct it. This reduces anxiety, depression, and increases equanimity and Self-worth.

“Do not weigh things, a soul of the person that weighs suffers harm.” The Talmud

How we treat the sentient body and manage its challenges will govern to what extent the soul separates from its container, which should also remain pure. The soul of a person that severely judges it-Self (or others) may begin to separate from the body creating Soul Sickness or even loss. Shame is the enemy of the soul. 

The Soul being pure can return to the body and be redeemed. Judgment, which is ego driven, arises out of our ongoing sense of

duality – a judging of the other as different when we are all one but not the same. This implies being kind to our own Selves as well as to any others. We should try to be a good friends to our Self while at the same time managing our egos. 

Cherish and guard the Self.